New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

There are some rumblings in the area that a new promoter is in final negotiations with the track owner to bring back a full season of racing activities in 2018. It would be great to see more action at this little quarter-mile gem!

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Talked to his niece on Friday. Nothing has been worked out yet. If he does I hope he gets support, as the last 5 years of weekly shows, not 1 show didn't lose money. Even now he is getting a late start. It will be nice to have a Friday night show I can make after work.

Run sprints and midgets on Friday. 2 classes. Focus on the show, not the car count. Fans don't want to sit and watch junk. Let them bring coolers. If you had 20 sprints and 16 midgets every week that's enough for a good show, trust me. Hot lap at 7.30, race at 8. Take up the extra space with driver introductions on the front stretch before both features and cool victory lane celebrations. Also, the early quit time allows everyone to flood the pits after the races and get the kids in the cars for pictures and autographs.

So, if we don't know the niece's name when do we get to know the Uncle's name? Seems like a preliminary announcement of a possible announcement. Don't get me the wrong way. I want Gas City to thrive and want to support the new Promoter as I have all the previous. I wish Gas City all the best and will support it every Friday. I hope.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by gastown:
So, if we don't know the niece's name when do we get to know the Uncle's name? Seems like a preliminary announcement of a possible announcement. Don't get me the wrong way. I want Gas City to thrive and want to support the new Promoter as I have all the previous. I wish Gas City all the best and will support it every Friday. I hope.

I don't want to mention any names. If it works they will do it themselves. If not everyone will rip a guy, so might as well leave his name out of it.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
Run sprints and midgets on Friday. 2 classes. Focus on the show, not the car count. Fans don't want to sit and watch junk. Let them bring coolers. If you had 20 sprints and 16 midgets every week that's enough for a good show, trust me. Hot lap at 7.30, race at 8. Take up the extra space with driver introductions on the front stretch before both features and cool victory lane celebrations. Also, the early quit time allows everyone to flood the pits after the races and get the kids in the cars for pictures and autographs.

Rich - While I am a die hard sprint car guy I think you under estimate the need of fender support classes. Those support classes bring in a big percentage of local drivers, car owners and fans. Each street stock/Thunderstock/bomber team probably buys 4 pit passes and another 5-10 general admission tickets with friends and family and run for $300 to win and $50 to start. That makes it very profitably for the promotor to run these class. Plus majority of those teams and fans live within 30 miles of the track and support every show. Now I am not advocating 5 classes a night but nothing wrong with a fender class.

I hope it is true as would love to see Gas City back in the fold of routine racing whether it is weekly or bi-weekly.

Originally Posted by staggerman:
Rich - While I am a die hard sprint car guy I think you under estimate the need of fender support classes. Those support classes bring in a big percentage of local drivers, car owners and fans. Each street stock/Thunderstock/bomber team probably buys 4 pit passes and another 5-10 general admission tickets with friends and family and run for $300 to win and $50 to start. That makes it very profitably for the promotor to run these class. Plus majority of those teams and fans live within 30 miles of the track and support every show. Now I am not advocating 5 classes a night but nothing wrong with a fender class.

I hope it is true as would love to see Gas City back in the fold of routine racing whether it is weekly or bi-weekly.

Couldn't agree more and actually every time I have been there the fender cars were pretty entertaining.

So go ahead and run 5 classes of stock cars/modified somewhere else. Gas City is perfect for my show.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
Run sprints and midgets on Friday. 2 classes. Focus on the show, not the car count. Fans don't want to sit and watch junk. Let them bring coolers. If you had 20 sprints and 16 midgets every week that's enough for a good show, trust me. Hot lap at 7.30, race at 8. Take up the extra space with driver introductions on the front stretch before both features and cool victory lane celebrations. Also, the early quit time allows everyone to flood the pits after the races and get the kids in the cars for pictures and autographs.

If you look back at the underlying cause of Gas City’s closure in the first place (why it is in the situation it is in), it was primarily due to a decrease in race team and fan support in the feeder classes. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, the profitability of regular shows depend largely upon the support of those classes. The vast majority of your local fans and race teams are running in those classes, which tend to be stock cars. There are outstanding open wheel classes and weekly open wheel programs here in Indiana, but they wouldn’t be possible without the support of local racers in the feeder classes. Even Kokomo has some concern about the lack of local fans and race teams that attend their regular programs. They appear to be doing fine right now, but Gas City did also just prior to their struggles and eventual closure. Feel free to try your weekly open wheel only program, but the odds of it being profitable are not in your favor.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
I don't want to mention any names. If it works they will do it themselves. If not everyone will rip a guy, so might as well leave his name out of it.

I would have to agree 100%

Jerry

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
So go ahead and run 5 classes of stock cars/modified somewhere else. Gas City is perfect for my show.

Rich unless you are willing to bankroll "your show" then I suggest you spend some time learning how to promote. "Your show" may be nice for you but is not financially viable

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
So go ahead and run 5 classes of stock cars/modified somewhere else. Gas City is perfect for my show.

BOOOOOOOO:deadhorse:

Sprints, Midgets, OW Mods, and Compacts would be a good program.

Something similar to Montpelier would do well, look at their car count on a sat and being close by I think they could get a lot of those guys to run both

With tracks like Haubstadt and Kokomo running special shows only, other tracks HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK of driver development on a weekly basis. This includes the less expensive support classes.

While he is driving in a fendered professional series, you could argue that Don O'Neal is one of the top shoes to come out of Indiana. Had it not been for support classes at Paragon, Bloomington, and Brownstown, where would Don have learned his trade?

This goes back to a post from a couple of weeks ago regarding Kokomo. One of our posters mentioned an article from the Kokomo paper, which Brent said was a study he performed. The quote mentioned 80% of the fans were from outside of Kokomo... I believe this is attributed to the lack of support classes on a regular basis. Chandler continues to operate in the shadow of Haubstadt. Paragon in the shadow of Putnamville and so on....

My hope is a fine facility like Gas City will once again be successful with classes that will allow it to be successful and that will help develop talent for the future of the sport!

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

I am sure all this bickering will have someone rushing to sign a lease.

Yeah your right keep running crappy local racing. What was i thinking?

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
Yeah your right keep running crappy local racing. What was i thinking?

Man this Rich guy just cant open his eyes to what it takes. Its a good thing this guy does not run a race track. Would have a lot of unhappy racers and fans.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

This Rich guy has his eyes wide open and I'm seeing race tracks run too many classes thinking the back gate is a pot of gold. I'm also seeing 300 people bored to death watching it. please, stop me when I'm lying :16

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by btg1963:
With tracks like Haubstadt and Kokomo running special shows only, other tracks HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK of driver development on a weekly basis. This includes the less expensive support classes.

While he is driving in a fendered professional series, you could argue that Don O'Neal is one of the top shoes to come out of Indiana. Had it not been for support classes at Paragon, Bloomington, and Brownstown, where would Don have learned his trade?

This goes back to a post from a couple of weeks ago regarding Kokomo. One of our posters mentioned an article from the Kokomo paper, which Brent said was a study he performed. The quote mentioned 80% of the fans were from outside of Kokomo... I believe this is attributed to the lack of support classes on a regular basis.

There was also a study I was part of in the 90's. No one thing is responsible. The cost to compete is so high I think it effects every class at every track. Historically when racing has thrived it has been because it was inexpensive to attend. It is not expensive compared to other entertainment, but it also is not cheap. If tracks raise ticket prices they know they will see less ticket buyers. Less butts in seats means less money from concessions. All the time insurance costs go up. It is a never ending cycle.
One thing that is going to be a problem for stock classes is, they aren't making 72 Chevelles anymore. When was the last time you could buy a rear wheel drive,carburated V8 on the showroom? This means very little stock parts on stock cars. That drives the cost up, and limits the people who can afford to race.
As for the study in the 90's, it was only about 70% local crowd then, so none of this has happened overnight for any one reason. Just my opinion.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
Yeah your right keep running crappy local racing. What was i thinking?

We've got the best local track scene in the country. Despite the fact that whenever somebody is preparing to take a huge financial gamble and add another track (or revive one in this case) a lot of people come crawling out of the woodwork to tell them how they should spend their money. We should revere people like this and most race fans do.

FYI: The support classes are one of the things that have kept this whole thing alive. While the tin tops are not my cup of tea, either, I realize it's a necessity and is the price I pay to live in a state that has a racing scene that so many people travel to, to be a part of.

Jerry

Sprint cars on Friday nights at Gas City? Yes please!

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by Rich Mersereau:
This Rich guy has his eyes wide open and I'm seeing race tracks run too many classes thinking the back gate is a pot of gold. I'm also seeing 300 people bored to death watching it. please, stop me when I'm lying :16

I see this at my local track a lot of weekends.

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
There was also a study I was part of in the 90's. No one thing is responsible. The cost to compete is so high I think it effects every class at every track. Historically when racing has thrived it has been because it was inexpensive to attend. It is not expensive compared to other entertainment, but it also is not cheap. If tracks raise ticket prices they know they will see less ticket buyers. Less butts in seats means less money from concessions. All the time insurance costs go up. It is a never ending cycle.
One thing that is going to be a problem for stock classes is, they aren't making 72 Chevelles anymore. When was the last time you could buy a rear wheel drive,carburated V8 on the showroom? This means very little stock parts on stock cars. That drives the cost up, and limits the people who can afford to race.
As for the study in the 90's, it was only about 70% local crowd then, so none of this has happened overnight for any one reason. Just my opinion.

On a lighter note, me not being a promoter, or ever having been involved in running a track, Mr funk brings up a valid point with the absence of stock carbureted V8 rear wheel drive cars. But wouldn't it be nice if they still WERE making 72 chevelles? 👍🏻

I get what Rich is saying and also understand the need for support classes. But here's the deal. I get tired of hearing about how great a show was put on by so and so support class. I'm sure there's good little league games, but are you going to watch if your niece or nephew isn't playing? Bottom line is nobody really wants to pay to see a mini stock race if they don't have a vested interest. That's why we need support classes, because it gives the locals tangible involvement and sells tickets, so we can see our beloved sprints or late models. Ultimately an efficiently run program, without too many classes serves everyone the best

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Time for a little clarity. a sprint and midget only program could only be possible at Gas City. It's a perfect location and track size for this type of weekly show. Montpelier is close and gets a strong field of midgets. My original post said 20 sprints and 16 midgets could put on a good race program, these numbers are minimalistic you'd probably end up with 24 sprints and 20-ish midgets. that's 5 good heats and 2 damn good features. i realize USAC Midget Week is a completely different, but the 2017 race was UNREAL, just Sprints and Midgets. As for adding 3 support divisions to bring more fans i'm not convinced. yes, of course friends and family show up to watch but how many people get agitated by endless yellows and never go back? Clean open wheel program, fans in the pits afterwards, coolers in the stands. these are all things i see that could make Gas City a kick ass Friday night track. :32:

Rich M

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Rich, the reason there has never been coolers in the stands at Gas City is the lack of room the way the bleachers are. Let things proceed before we point out everything we think is wrong.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

One thing to think about. Electric starters on 600 mini sprints, wing and non wing. Stock cars also. This moves the
show faster with them. Think how much time during the night to start sprint cars and midgets. Until they
are ready for heats and mains. And laps to warm engines. I think we would be shocked.

Lynn

Originally Posted by Blackduce:
One thing to think about. Electric starters on 600 mini sprints, wing and non wing. Stock cars also. This moves the
show faster with them. Think how much time during the night to start sprint cars and midgets. Until they
are ready for heats and mains. And laps to warm engines. I think we would be shocked.

Lynn

TSS averages about 1min 45 sec to push off their feature.

While a Sprint and Midget show may be at the top of your list and many others, it is feasible but a far stretch for anyone to put their neck on the line for. 20 sprints and 20 midgets don’t pay the bills. Use some real world numbers instead of your fairy tale. Using a Kokomo sprint car payout and Montpelier’s Midget payout, both taken directly from their websites, purse money for FEATURE EVENTS ONLY totals $11,690. That is based on starting 20 cars in each feature, includes no non-transfer money or any additional prize money. Let’s assume each car brings a driver and three crew members at $30 per pit pass totaling $4,800. We will also assume each car brings four fans per night at $15 general admission totaling $2,400. That leaves $4,490 left to pay the purse of these two races. Given a $15 general admission ticket, that would require an additional 300 fans.

Keep in mind, this pays the feature purse only. Let’s not forget about the track lease, insurance, workers, utilities, marketing, taxes, facility maintenance, equipment to work the track, paying someone to work the track, concession stand equipment, trash service, and so on.

While additional classes may not fit your schedule, they are a necessity. They bring in additional revenue for the track with paying customers both in the pits and in the stands. They also can have a positive impact on the feature events you would like to watch. Smaller, skinnier tires can bring back moisture in the track and help widen the track. While I am not a fan of them, they do serve a purpose. I also don’t like bees, flies, wind, or rain but they serve a purpose as well.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

This person gets it.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Call me crazy, but I like watching the support classes....most of the time. I like watching someone come up through the ranks of racing on their way to the top. Remember that guy/girl running a Hornet or 270cc Micro might be a top driver in the big leagues one day.

While no one likes multiple yellow flags and long drawn out races. I've left the racetrack many a night where frequently the super stock or modified feature was the best feature of the night. And yes I went to watch sprint cars.
Another point that's yet to be mentioned is. Look at all the guys whom graduated from the support classes to sprint cars. Brady Short Jeff Bland Jesse Cramer Josh Burton Ray Humphries all started racing in a support division. Shelby Miles also had a brief stint in a sprint car. I've just mentioned only a few. There are many that've done it.
While not all have stayed in a sprint car for whatever reason, that's just racing.
I'll accept whatever divisions it takes for another dirt track to begin racing again.
Hope it all works out for GC.

Gas City needs to do something with there bleacher problem.

It's not the support classes fault for constant time delays. It boils down to the track having proper rules & discipline to deal with problem areas. I once parked the entire 4 banger feature in the infield at a track I worked for and let the next division run their race because after three attempts to start the race they couldn't behave. Once they were allowed on track again guess what? Green to checker with no issues. So I think it's completely wrong to look down on other divisions and blaming them for keeping your favorite premier class off track. JMO

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Delete... not needed

Hell I don't have a problem with all the other guys racing events. I will just go down and support the track promoters and the employees and buy a burger and a beer and talk to some great racing fans. But when I hear the sprint cars fired I am heading to my seat. Have fun and enjoy all the great things that we all love. Thanks.

Re: New Promoter Coming to Gas City?
 

Originally Posted by grantman:
Gas City needs to do something with there bleacher problem.

Way to keep things positive. Just for the record, they purchased a new grandstand several years back. The town would not grant them permission to build it. I am sure this thread will do nothing to encourage anyone to sign a lease.

Originally Posted by BrentTFunk:
Way to keep things positive. Just for the record, they purchased a new grandstand several years back. The town would not grant them permission to build it. I am sure this thread will do nothing to encourage anyone to sign a lease.

Hmm Brent, the information you just provided above would discourage me from entertaining any lease.